Video: Make mouthwatering meatballs

Closed captioning of: Make mouthwatering meatballs

>>>this morning on "today's kitchen," back to basics. october is italian heritage month, and we are getting a jump on things with some of the most famous italian meatballs in the world. pellegrino is the owner of reyos here in new york and the owner of the "
rao
's cookbook." sorry about my
side kick
here. we love meatballs, but we're desperate to get a table at
rao
's. it's very hard.

>>we're going to try to keep it that way.

>>good try, though. all right, fine.

>>we've got
raw meat
here, frank, be careful.

>>you've got
raw meat
and i want to get you started.

>>what's the
raw meat
?

>>this is two pounds of half beat, quarter pork, quarter veal.

>>have your butcher mix it up for you?

>>have your butcher or they even sell it in supermarkets like that.

>>this will make how much meatballs for a family?

>>14 to 16 meatballs. about that size, about two inch in diameter. we've got to get you started. first of all, spread out the chopped meat like it is now.

>>with our hands?

>>no, it's already spread out. if you want to put your hands in there --

If you're looking for a hot and cozy fall recipe, look no further than Rao’s. Known for their exclusivity and esteemed reputation, New York City’s Rao’s restaurant has been serving up authentic Italian food since 1896. Steal their famous meatball recipe for an easy-to-make and delicious dinner:

Recipe: Rao’s meatball recipe

Rao's

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb beef

1/2 lb veal

1/2 lb pork

3 large gloves garlic, minced

Salt

Pepper

Parsley

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups grated Pecorino cheese

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

Preparation

In a large bowl, place the meat and rub the minced garlic into it. Press the meat down in the bowl, then add, in this order, the salt, pepper, parsley, 2 eggs, and the water. Then sprinkle the cheese over the top as if you are going to cover the water. Finally, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the cheese.

When you start to mix it all together, mix from the outside of the bowl to the middle and fold it in. After the ingredients are mixed, start to roll the meatball in your hands, about 6 ounces per meatball.

After your meatballs are rolled, take a frying pan (a 10 inch sautee pan is best), add your oil (2 cups) and heat. Place a clove of whole garlic in the frying pan; when the clove of garlic starts to brown, the oil is ready.

Fry the meatballs, cooking and flipping each side until golden brown, about 4 1/2 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove the meatballs after cooking and put on a plate with some paper towels to absorb the oil. [If you want, you can bake the meatballs in an oven on a lightly greased tray at 350 degrees – the taste is totally different than frying.]

Add the meatballs to your tomato sauce and finish cooking them up in the sauce. Serve with the sauce.